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Education Week's Photo BlogThu, 06 Dec 2018 19:20:07 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3edweek/fullframehttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily RotationEducation Week’s Photos of the Year for 2018 — Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/OW7z1Vvu6_A/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/12/06/photos-of-the-year-2018/#commentsThu, 06 Dec 2018 19:20:07 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=6140Photos of the Year for 2018, as selected by Education Week's photo editors ]]>

Parkland. Santa Fe. Teacher walkouts and teacher strikes. 2018 was a year of unspeakable tragedy and passionate political action in the pre-K-12 education world. But it was also a time of learning, healing and student activism that attempted to address and learn from, those events. Throughout it all, Education Week’s staff and freelance photojournalists, as well as talented photographers from wire services and contributing newspapers, visually documented what proved to be an incredibly memorable year. These are some of those moments, as selected by Education Week’s photo editors.

Students walk through a dark hallway during a class change in January at Jaime Coira School in Ciales, Puerto Rico. Months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, the school still had no power and only one generator. —Swikar Patel/Education Week

Adrieliz Ramirez Ares, an 8th grader at Gullermina Rosado De Ayala elementary and middle school in Loiza, Puerto Rico, holds her brother, Adrien Bayron, 2, at their home. The Puerto Rican government’s efforts to rebuild and remake its educational system will take years. But so will a complex and in some ways more fraught battle for the U.S. territory’s children and educators: helping them cope with trauma and meeting their emotional needs. —Swikar Patel/Education Week

Clifford and Kim Xantus with their children Louis and Sophie in their home in Newtown, Pa. Kim Xantus is a member of a diversity council created after a series of hate incidents in the Council Rock, Pa., school district. —Daryl Peveto for Education Week

Mohammed Choudhury, chief innovation officer for the San Antonio Independent School District, clowns around with children during lunch at a school in San Antonio, Texas. Choudhury was recognized as a Leader To Learn From by Education Week for his work in expanding school choice. — Lisa Krantz for Education Week

Kindergartner Ava Josephine Mikel and teacher Priscilla Joseph dance to Haitian music during a game of “freeze dance” at Toussaint L’Ouverture Academy, a Haitian Creole dual-language program at Mattahunt Elementary School in Boston. More dual-language programs are cropping up in districts around the country. —Gretchen Ertl for Education Week

Julie Latessa sings to students in a summer learning program in Providence, R.I. The program is part of coordinated efforts between the city and school district to boost students’ academic performance and overall well-being. —Gretchen Ertl for Education Week

Lead teacher Melanie McLaughlin gets a hug from her student, Daleyza Gaona, 4, as Caidyn Smith, 4, works with “slime” in their classroom at Early Childhood Development Center Reed, a Head Start program in Tulsa, Okla. The center used statistical modeling to reduce the number of “no show” students from 38 in 2016 to 11 in 2017. —Brandi Simons for Education Week

Third-grade students, from left to right, Peyton C., Landen H., Jeremiah W., and Sophie M., participate in a social studies lesson focused on the history and symbolism of the American flag at Freedom Elementary School in Colorado Springs, Colo. The school district is focused on teaching students to do history rather than passively receive it. –Nathan W. Armes for Education Week

Hannah Cantrell, a senior in the Media Production class, operates one of the cameras during a live television broadcast in the BCTV Studio at Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Minn. The school has enlisted local businesses to help students find a career field that excites them, whether it leads to a four-year degree or not. —Ackerman + Gruber for Education Week

Teacher Michelle Andrews says she was assaulted by a student in 2015. She ended up pressing charges, was fired, and then settled with the school board for nearly $200,000. —Daryl Peveto for Education Week

Lakeshore High School football players take the field for a football game in September at Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, Mich. –Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP

Kathy Durham, a West Wendover High School civics teacher, talks with students about crafting legislation around gun control during a U.S. Government class for seniors in West Wendover, Nev. —Kim Raff for Education Week

Students are evacuated by police from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., after a shooter opened fire on the campus, killing 17 people. —Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP

Protesters rally against gun violence on the steps of the old Florida Capitol in Tallahassee on Feb. 21, the one week anniversary of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. —Mark Wallheiser/AP

Carrying crosses emblazoned with photos and names of the city’s victims of gun violence, high school senior D’Angelo McDade, front right, leads a march in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood during a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence, on March 14, the one-month anniversary of the Parkland shooting. —Martha Irvine/AP

With the U.S. Capitol behind the stage, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez is seen on a video screen as she stands silently at the podium at the “March for Our Lives” rally in Washington. The silence marked the amount of time that ticked by during the massacre. –Cliff Owen/AP

Student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother, Susan Davidson, following a shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18 in Santa Fe, Texas. Ten people — 8 students and 2 teachers –were killed. —Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP

Brian Hall, an armed community safety officer dedicated to the elementary schools in the Prince William County school system, monitors hallways at Ashland Elementary School in Manassas, Va. —T.J. Kirkpatrick for Education Week

A stone schoolhouse from the 1800s sits above the Memorial to Fallen Educators at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan. The monument to school employees who’ve died on the job was rededicated as a national memorial in June. — Julie Denesha for Education Week

Teachers from across Kentucky gather inside the state Capitol in Frankfort to rally for increased funding for education. The demonstrations was inspired by West Virginia teachers, whose nine-day walkout after many years without raises led to a 5 percent pay hike. –Bryan Woolston/AP

After her children have gone to bed, Sara Doolittle takes advantage of quiet time to work on a research paper in her home office. Doolittle, who works full time as an English teacher at Norman High School in Norman, Okla., is also a graduate student, and a research assistant at the University of Oklahoma. Doolittle says she took a major pay cut when her family moved to the state from Colorado. —Swikar Patel/Education Week

During the sixth day of school walkouts, teachers crowd the lobby of the Arizona Senate as Arizona lawmakers debate a budget negotiated by majority Republicans and GOP Gov. Doug Ducey in May at the Capitol in Phoenix. The budget gave teachers big raises but fell short of their demands for better school funding. –Matt York/AP

Democrat Jahana Hayes, candidate in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District and a former National Teacher of the Year, celebrates her win at an election night rally in November in Waterbury, Conn. —H. John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP

The burned remains of the Paradise Elementary school smolder in Paradise, Calif. Blocks and blocks of homes and businesses in the Northern California town were destroyed by a deadly wildfire. –Rich Pedroncelli/AP

“I got more comfortable with people disagreeing. … I started to realize that everyone is compelled by what they think is best for everyone. They’re not good or evil.” Bintou Sonko, a senior at Overland Park High School, near Denver, reflects on the civic discussions in her social studies classes this year. —Nathan W. Armes for Education Week

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/12/06/photos-of-the-year-2018/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/12/06/photos-of-the-year-2018/A Class of One at Rural Wyoming School — Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/aANF2DPoFpQ/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/11/01/one-student-school/#commentsThu, 01 Nov 2018 15:22:58 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=6110Ten-year-old Corinne Gaby is the only student at Notch Peak Elementary School in Albany County, Wyo. Notch Peak Elementary was created for Corinne when she entered kindergarten. It will almost surely dissolve when she leaves sixth grade.
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Corinne Gaby prepares to ride her horse, Little Red, on the Notch Peak Ranch in rural Albany County, Wyo. Corinne often rides her horse to school.

Photos by Shannon Broderick/Laramie Boomerang via AP

Story by Daniel Bendtsen/Laramie Boomerang via AP

ALBANY COUNTY, Wyo. — Thoman Ranch Elementary in Sweetwater County has two students. There are a few other public schools in Wyoming with three students.

Notch Peak Elementary in Albany County, however, stands alone.

Ten-year-old Corinne Gaby is its only student and Ms. Lisa Geary the only teacher.

It begins with a simple idea: Every child in the U.S. has the right to a public education — no matter where that child lives.

Notch Peak Elementary was created for Corinne when she entered kindergarten. It will almost surely dissolve when she leaves sixth grade.

Corinne has no siblings and lives with her parents on a ranch nestled among the granite peaks of the Laramie Range.

Wheatland is the closest town. From Corinne’s house, it’s 27 miles on a dirt road. In good weather, it’s an hour drive. After a good snow, the road’s traversable only after replacing a pick-up’s tires with rubber snow tracks.

The closest school in Albany County is Rock River — about an hour-and-a-half drive on Fetterman Road, which isn’t maintained in the winter.

Getting Corinne to a traditional school simply isn’t feasible.

___

Corinne Gaby hugs her father, Jack, before he leaves to work on the ranch.

Corinne’s parents, Jack and Rachel Gaby, moved to Notch Peak Ranch in 2002 after having managed another ranch in western Colorado.

Owned by a Colorado-based real estate developer, Notch Peak is 34,000 acres and lies south of Britania Mountain.

Here, the Gabys, along with two ranch hands, run 600 head of cattle.

When Corinne was born, her parents didn’t know what the possibilities were for schooling.

“It was the main reason I was hesitant about having kids,” Rachel said. “Because I’ve always been in these backcountry places. . I couldn’t teach. I don’t have the patience.”

When Corinne was nearing kindergarten, Rachel and Jack met with Albany County School District No. 1 administrators.

They were surprised by how willing the district was to establish a school on the ranch.

“It was a really smooth process,” Rachel said. “They were so helpful. It’s just been awesome. I can’t tell them how thankful we are.”

“We are so blessed for this opportunity for Corinne,” Jack said. “I don’t know another kid who gets to ride their horse to school and bring their dog to school. It’s such a brag on this great state that they want to keep these rural schools.”

The second floor of a horse barn was converted into a classroom. Large windows keep the cozy room well lit. There’s couches, a wood stove and a smartboard.

With each new teacher, the district has invited the Gabys to be part of the hiring process.

“It’s not for the faint of heart for a teacher to be out here,” Lisa said. “It gets pretty quiet in the winter.”

“Ooooh yeah,” Corinne echoed.

Corinne’s first teacher lasted one year. A second teacher was hired when Corinne was entering first grade. She left after two years. Both teachers lived in the horse barn. By the time Lisa arrived, the district had bought a trailer for her to live in.

___

Corinne works with her teacher, Linda Geary, during class at Notch Peak Elementary. The school is housed in a horse barn two miles from Gaby’s home–Geary lives nearby in a trailer on the ranch’s property.

In 2016, Lisa was teaching at an elementary school in Peyton, Colorado, but better wages in Wyoming made her want to cross state lines.

The Oregon native had been teaching in Peyton for four years. The smallest number of students she had in a classroom was 16.

Peyton’s principal had been friends with Corinne’s previous teacher. When she left, the principal tipped off Lisa.

Lisa jumped at the opportunity. She’s an avid mountain biker and hiker and knew she’d be well suited for the isolation.

She was the first to apply.

“A lot of people that applied didn’t know the remoteness of the position,” she said.

When she got the job, Lisa was apprehensive.

“It was a lot of life changes for me,” she said. “I was scared.”

That first year on the ranch was hard.

“Harder than I expected,” she said.

The winter took a toll.

With the ranch lying on the north side of mountains, it gets dark unusually early in the winter.

The pipes to Lisa’s trailer froze. At one point, she was snowed in for three weeks.

“I learned to buy a lot of groceries,” Lisa said.

When Lisa interviewed for the job in June 2016, she joined two applicants at the ranch.

After talking with Jack and Rachel, she met Corinne for a one-on-one session.

The precocious 7-year-old sat on a chair, crossed her legs and put her hands on her knees.

“So — how long have you been teaching?” Corinne asked.

Not an ounce of shyness. The Gabys were lucky with Corinne.

“She’s very outgoing,” Rachel said.

When Corinne was starting school, her social life was Rachel’s main concern.

While Corinne doesn’t spend most of her days with other kids, when she does, she blends right in.

Corinne has two close friends in Wheatland. Each Wednesday, she also attends church school and takes violin lessons in town.

Lisa said Corinne “does great in any social situation.”

“She feels like she’s part of the team,” she said.

For her, the isolation isn’t a hindrance on having friends.

“In some situations, with some kids, it would be,” Rachel said.

Corinne and Lisa, with Lisa’s dog, Soleil, hike down a hill.

___

Each morning, Corinne’s usually driven by her mom the 2 miles to the horse barn.

When it’s too snowy in the winter, she’ll arrive on horseback. Now that Corinne’s older, she’ll sometimes ride alone on her horse, Little Red, with her dog Pancho running by her side.

Class starts at 8 a.m.

They do reading lessons until 10 a.m. Lisa tries to get math done by noon before Corinne’s attention wanes.

After lunch, they move onto English, science and social studies.

The one-on-one situation also allows them to incorporate other skills like sewing, knitting and cooking.

Finally it’s time for P.E. Their options are much wider than at a typical grade school.

When it’s warm, Lisa and Corinne bike or run outside.

There’s also a treadmill on the first floor of the horse barn, and both are now training for a 5k they plan to run in December. When they can’t get outside, yoga’s also an option.

A one-student classroom has obvious advantages to learning.

“The coolest part about this is we can dig deep into so many things,” Lisa said. “If something sparks an interest in her, we can go deeper. There’s no time constraints.”

But in some ways, Lisa said she has to work harder. Corinne doesn’t benefit from the same type of competitive learning environment other students have.

“I have to be more animated,” Lisa said. “If I get up and teach on a normal level, she gets bored.”

She also can’t expect to stick to a certain lesson plan.

“If she gets a concept super quick, I have to be ready to move to the next thing,” she said.

Sometimes, Corinne doesn’t understand a concept in the way Lisa’s accustomed to teaching it.

Lisa will try out other ways of teaching. She expands her skill-set. If Lisa eventually ends up back in a conventional classroom setting, she expects her experience with Corinne will help her cater to the diversity of learning styles children have.

“It’s helped me be a stronger educator because I learn all those different perspectives,” she said.

___

Two weeks ago, Lisa tried to challenge Corinne as they were working through long division. Lisa added more digits to the problems. She tried giving tips to Corinne, who would cut her off.

“Remember, you need to_”

“I know, Ms. Geary.”

“How am I supposed to show off my teaching skills if you know everything?”

“Ms. Geary, I like it the hard way.”

This is not the same student Lisa started with in 2016.

Lisa thought having just one student would be easy.

But Corinne, then a third-grader, wasn’t an easy student.

“She was happy as a lark when we got outside,” Lisa said.

But in the classroom, Corinne was hard-headed. Sometimes mopey.

“I was a little head-strong from my last teacher, but she straightened me out,” Corinne said.

When Lisa started with Corinne, she set high expectations.

“If you set the bar very high, she’ll reach it,” Lisa said. “It took her a while to understand that. We struggled a little bit with respect.”

“It’s very hard reteaching me,” Corinne said.

Fourth grade was a little easier, but still, there were challenges.

“It could be she didn’t understand the value of education,” Lisa said.

During the past two years, both Lisa and Rachel have pushed Corinne to appreciate the uniqueness of her situation.

As she gets older, she’s understanding that more.

At the start of fifth grade, Lisa said it was “like a switch flipped.”

Corinne became earnest.

“I keep telling myself to be thankful that I can have this and that she cares a lot,” Corinne said.

On her first WY-TOPP test, Corinne scored “advanced” in all three subjects.

Lisa said Corinne’s become “just an unbelievable little reader.”

___

Survivor, a rooster, stands on Corinne head. Survivor was the only chick that lived through a raccoon attack in the summer.

The Gabys have had chickens for two years. Four chicks were born Aug. 1.

Lisa got used to waking up to the sound of a rooster every morning.

Then on one morning after Labor Day, there was no crow.

Corinne later came running inside, screaming through tears, with one baby chick in her hands.

A raccoon had broken in and eaten the entire family.

The only living chick was given a name: Survivor.

“He’s the sweetest little rooster,” Corinne said.

“We’ve experienced loss, and Corinne needs to learn loss in life too,” Lisa said. “The chickens seem to be what everybody wants to snack on.”

Notch Peak is rife with wildlife. The Gabys’ animals, and those that roam the mountains, greatly shape the world Corinne lives with.

Rattlesnakes are a constant worry in the summer, and Corinne doesn’t do as much hiking then.

Black bears and mountain lions make an occasional appearance on the property.

Bighorn sheep are often seen and there’s a herd of 50-100 elk that roams the ranch.

Corinne’s dog, Pancho, is her faithful co-explorer of the ranch.

The ranch also has cats, burros, mules, four bottle-fed calves and Corinne’s bearded dragon named Puff.

Lisa’s dog, Soleil, comes to class every day.

“He’s a big part of our world,” Lisa said.

Animals play a big part of Corinne’s education.

When the ranch got a family of peacocks in August, it became an opportunity for both Lisa and Corinne to learn about the life cycle of a new species. They did some research to determine whether the peacocks are male or female.

They think all are female, but they won’t be certain until the birds reach 10 months old.

The animals are also an opportunity for Corinne to become the teacher.

During breaks, she might quiz Lisa on the names of the horses or the breeds of chickens on the ranch.

Their mutual fondness of animals and their environment shapes their studies.

So, of course, when they’re talking about Lewis and Clark, Corinne remembers that Meriwether Lewis’s dog was a Newfoundland named Seaman.

Four horses follow Corinne as she walks through a field near her home at Notch Peak Ranch.

___

On an October morning, Corinne and Lisa are reviewing American history.

They’re talking about the end of the Nez Perce War, and disagreements Chief Joseph had with his daughter about ending the fighting.

Corinne interrupts.

“Have you ever argued before?” she asks.

“With Ashley?” Lisa clarifies. That’s her daughter.

“Yeah.”

“Probably — like about tattoos,” Lisa said. “Just like with Chief Joseph, there’s always generational differences where parents and their children don’t agree.”

The relationship between Lisa and Corinne goes beyond teacher and student. Their personal life is bound to bleed into the classroom.

This bond is also a friendship. It’s mother-and-daughter.

Corinne accidentally calls Lisa “mom.”

Lisa accidentally calls her “Ashley.”

The bond is also sisterly.

They’re each other’s confidantes and they tease each other constantly. They debate who’s the bigger “wuss” when it comes to snakes.

Corinne teases Lisa for her inexperience with guns and her gravitation toward name-brand clothing.

“I don’t know how Ms. Geary doesn’t like country music, but she doesn’t,” Corinne jokes.

“She doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to be hard on me, so when she does, she’s so good at it,” Lisa said.

It helps that Lisa and the Gabys have such a strong relationship. Jack and Rachel trust her.

“I’m part of the family now,” Lisa said. “I’ve caught myself disciplining her when (Jack and Rachel) are around, and that’s OK.”

“That’s where the trust comes in,” Rachel said.” It takes a village.”

___

As Lisa and Corinne are reviewing the Trial of Tears one day, Corinne mentions an American Indian worldview.

“If you take care of the land, it takes care of you,” she said.

She can relate to that idea.

By Labor Day, the Britania Fire had come within two miles of the horse barn, reaching the edge of the Notch Peak.

The Gabys lost a few cows but went almost entirely unscathed.

“We’re lucky that it didn’t jump over,” Rachel said.

They were never mandatorily evacuated. Jack and Rachel stayed the entire time.

Lisa and Corinne both left over the Labor Day weekend after the power was shut off.

Now, when Corinne hikes to some of the tallest peaks at on the ranch and looks north, she can see the devastation that nearly threatened her home.

That experience has helped inspire her to want to eventually be a firefighter (she’s still also considering horse wrangling).

Corinne’s aspirations are greatly shaped by the world she occupies.

As Corinne’s getting older, both Rachel and Lisa are both focused on getting more experiences off the ranch for the 10-year-old.

They take a lot of field trips, often to Denver, where Lisa’s daughter lives.

They’ve gone rock-climbing, visited the Denver courthouse, the Butterfly Pavilion, the zoo and the aquarium.

“It’s important for her to see the world,” Lisa said.

Corinne practices her violin. She takes violin lessons in Wheatland, the nearest town.

___

In 2020, Corinne will finish sixth grade. At that point, Notch Peak Elementary is likely to cease.

The Gabys don’t know what will happen at that point. They don’t want Lisa to leave.

Despite having a master’s degree, Lisa would need to get four more teaching certificates to be qualified to teach Corinne after 6th grade. Having Corinne take classes online is more likely.

Having the same teacher for multiple grades has shown significant benefits, but Lisa also thinks it might be a good thing she won’t be able to teach Corinne into high school.

“She needs a new perspective,” she said.

These four years Corinne and Lisa have together might have be very different if they hadn’t bonded as they have.

“We’re lucky that we love each other,” Lisa said. “Our relationship is huge. We could have not connected. She had to really like me.”

Lisa has become Corinne’s favorite part of school.

“She’s my everything teacher,” Corinne said.

When Lisa finally does leave Notch Peak, no one expects a permanent goodbye.

“I will always be connected to Corinne,” Lisa said. “Even after I leave after 6th grade, she will always be a part of my life.”

___

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/11/01/one-student-school/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/11/01/one-student-school/Tackling Football and the Flute — Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/y37dfqpNNtY/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/10/05/girl-football-player-and-musician/#commentsFri, 05 Oct 2018 20:17:56 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=6088Eighth-grade student Julie Michael plays the flute with her school marching band, and then joins the otherwise-male football team, where she plays as a kicker, wide receiver and linebacker.]]>

Dressed in her shoulder pads and jersey, 8th grader Julie Michael, 13, holds her flute before playing the national anthem with the marching band at Seven Springs Middle School in New Port Richey, Fla. Julie is a kicker on the football team, and also plays linebacker and wide receiver.

Photos by Bronte Wittpenn /Tampa Bay Times via AP

Story by Jeffrey S. Solochek/Tampa Bay Times via TNS

TRINITY, Fla. — Julie Michael stood in the metal bleachers, flute poised at her lips, ready to play the national anthem with the Seven Springs Middle School advanced band.

As the band segued into the school fight song, the 8th grader continued performing. But she kept glancing toward the sidelines, where the 80-man football team gathered to stampede the field for its first game of the 2018 season.

Make that the 79-man, one-woman team.

As the final notes faded, the heavily padded Michael bolted from the stands, thrust her instrument into her mother’s hands and dashed to the end zone for the introductions. She needed to get there in time for the opening kickoff—that’s what kickers do, after all—and coach Van Daele had made clear that players could remain in the band only if they’re responsible enough to handle it.

Helmet on, it was hard to single out Michael as the only girl on the Seven Springs football roster, and the third one in the school’s history.

“This shows anyone can do anything they want,” Michael says of her dual role as football player and school band member.

“It doesn’t really make a difference between boys and girls,” teammate Luke Cartiglia said during practice a day earlier. “We’re all here to do the same thing, to get the job done.”

So when she learned that girls were allowed to play on the school team, she reasoned, why not go for it?

“This shows anyone can do anything they want,” explained the 5-foot-1, 120-pound kicker who also plays wide receiver and linebacker. “I think more girls should play it, just to break all the stereotypes.”

Though far from the norm, stories about girls playing football have grown more common in recent years. Just days ago, a Mississippi high school senior won homecoming queen honors and then entered the homecoming game to kick the winning extra point in overtime.

Nike’s new Dream Crazy campaign features high schooler Alicia Woollcott of Michigan, with the lines, “Don’t settle for homecoming queen. Or linebacker. Do both.”

In U.S. culture, football is a big deal, arguably replacing baseball as the national pastime. Children hear their parents cheering, debating, lamenting over teams.

Why wouldn’t girls want to be a part of it?

“They don’t just want to cheer, not all of them,” said Deidre Silva, spokeswoman for the Women’s Football Alliance, which has a team in Tampa. “It makes sense that they want to play.”

More than that, Silva added, football is a huge industry with jobs in training, announcing and other facets.

“You earn your street cred from playing,” she said.

Michael can attest to that.

She joined the middle school team as a 7th grader and found it a bit awkward at first.

Many of the boys had played together in the community, so when a girl showed up, she said, “they gave me a little bit of a hard time. They wanted to see what I was capable of.”

She didn’t back down from guys a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier. She took her hits and dished them out.

“They were like, oh, okay.” Michael said. “Now I have a lot of friends on the team.”

Still, it’s not always easy. She’s sometimes isolated in a separate locker room, missing out on the coach’s instructions and teammate camaraderie.

She can’t let that be a deterrent, Michael said. She has to take the initiative to find out what she needs to know.

Coach Daele said that her maturity shines through in her work ethic and on-field performance. Her training in other sports gives her better coordination and strength than many of the boys, he said. Michael often leaves football straight for club soccer.

Family friend Toni Maxton is not surprised. Everything Michael does occurs in beast mode, Maxton said, watching the action from the bleachers.

“She’s not your average girl,” Maxton said. “She’s not scared of anything or anyone.”

Sharon Michael, mother to football player and band member Julie Michael, shows off her shirt during the school’s first game of the season.

Sharon Michael, Julie’s mom, wouldn’t admit to any nerves with her daughter on the field.

“I don’t want my fears cast on her,” she said, particularly after she has repeated to all three of her girls that they “can be whatever you want to be.”

Michael is passionate about football, her mom said, and does well balancing her many responsibilities — including advanced classes, band and other team sports.

“I’m very proud,” she said. “She’s got a lot of gumption.”

And she’s made an impression.

Principal Cortney Gantt called Michael an “amazing student in every possible aspect.” Teacher Lisa Papuga praised her work ethic, also noting that “she’s nice to every child.”

Classmate Thomas Toner said he had no doubts about Michael on the field.

“I know Julie,” he said. “She can totally handle it.”

In that first game of the season, a 36-0 victory over Hudson Middle School, Michael certainly did that. While not the game’s most-valuable player, she wasn’t a bit player, either.

Julie Michael kicks during a game against the Hudson Middle School Cougars.

A Hudson receiver fumbled her line-drive kickoff, which Seven Springs recovered for a scoring drive. As wide receiver, she made the key block to allow Nicholas Wolfgang through to the end zone, putting the team up 18-0.

“Did you see that?” she said, grinning widely. “I made the block that cleared the path.”

Eight-year-old Sara Brandenburg, watching the game with her dad and brother, was impressed.

“Girls can play any sport, if they practice hard. They fit on the team,” said Sara, who knew there was a girl playing because she saw Michael’s ponytail. “Boys can be just as good as girls.”

Michael agrees. Even so, she’s not sure she’ll play football after this year.

Julie Michael walks from the girls’ locker room to the band room to practice flute with the marching band before a recent football game in New Port Richey, Fla. After Michael changes into her football gear, she practices with the band for nearly 20 minutes before joining her teammates on the field for stretching and warm-ups before the game.

She’d love to, but might not have the time. She wants to join the Mitchell High marching band and ROTC, keep playing club soccer and keep her eyes open for any new adventures. She hopes other girls will follow their dreams, too.

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/10/05/girl-football-player-and-musician/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/10/05/girl-football-player-and-musician/In a Grieving Texas Town, a Class Reunion Becomes Something More – Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/OzSL246BedA/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/07/16/santa-fe-reunion/#commentsMon, 16 Jul 2018 21:19:52 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=6065Alumni from Santa Fe High School in Texas come together for a class reunion and fundraiser for victims of last May's school shooting. ]]>

Guests at a reunion of Santa Fe High School alumni walk by the words “SF Strong” on their way to the fundraiser event at Galveston County Fairgrounds last week in Santa Fe, Texas.

Photos by Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via AP

Story by Shelby Webb/Houston Chronicle via AP

Months ago, Rachel Lyons assumed her 10-year high school reunion would be a low-key affair. Perhaps she and other members of Santa Fe High School’s class of 2008 would go to Top Golf in Webster, she thought, or rent out a restaurant near the small Galveston County community. The Houston Chronicle reports that all of that changed on May 18, when she and other alumni learned a gunman had killed 10 people and wounded 13 at their alma mater. A 17-year-old student was arrested and charged with capital murder.

“We didn’t want to have fun while the town was in so much pain,” Lyons said. “We figured, why don’t we try to do something to bring something positive back to town? Let’s bring on the school pride.”

Lyons and dozens of other Santa Fe alumni from as far back as the class of 1988 spent the past couple of months planning The Alumni Santa Fe Strong Benefit Concert, which on July 15 brought hundreds to the nearby Galveston County Fairgrounds.

The fundraiser felt more like a community barbecue than a solemn remembrance, something Lyons strove for as she helped organize the event. She went so far as to cash in all of her vacation and sick days so she could make the three-hour round trip to Galveston County multiple times each week to help get everything together.

Children shrieked as they bounced down inflatable slides and slurped snow cones in the steamy summer heat. Adults perused donated items up for auction and raffles, which included horse bridles, fire pits, a wagon filled with bottles of whiskey and an all-inclusive trip for two to Africa. Some stood underneath a large, metal awning and held cold cans of Miller Lite to their faces and necks as pockets of thunderstorms rolled across the fairgrounds.

Nearby, Wesley Willoughby and several other members of the Galveston County Mounted Posse civic group watched the party perched atop horses. Willoughby graduated from Santa Fe High in 2010 and knew four people who were injured in the shooting.

Kristi Helton of the Galveston County Mounted Posse accompanied by Wesley Willoughby, left, share a smile during the Santa Fe High School’s class of 2008 reunion fundraising event.

Willoughby and his class are still a couple years shy of celebrating their 10-year anniversary, but Willoughby said he was inspired by the example set by the class of 2008.

“This is pretty dang awesome,” he said. “But this is just what we do — this is what Santa Fe does. We’re all ready to get out and help.”

Steven Littleton Jr. extends a flag that honors the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting.

Children play on a scaffold during the fundraiser at the Galveston County Fairgrounds.

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/07/16/santa-fe-reunion/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/07/16/santa-fe-reunion/Mortar Board Hopes, Dreams and Humor — Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/xHkiSCMG8A8/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/13/mortarboard-photo-gallery/#commentsWed, 13 Jun 2018 15:38:06 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=5979As the 2017-18 school year comes to a close, high school graduates around the country expressed a variety of views and feelings through their mortar board art. Photo editors at Education Week took to the Associated Press and Instagram to showcase some of these creative caps.]]>

As the 2017-18 school year comes to a close, high school graduates around the country expressed a variety of views and feelings through their mortar board art. Photo editors at Education Week took to the Associated Press and Instagram to showcase some of these creative caps.

One student drew a parallel between high school academics and makeup. Both were winged! –@obey_canon via Instagram

Thanos, a villain from the Marvel universe, is obsessed and driven by his ability to gather obscure scientific knowledge. It seems one graduate found herself on the same path. –Cheryl Winsor via Instagram

With seemingly big plans in store, Zoey Hunsinger decorated her cap with the phrase, “one day we will be remembered.” –Zoey Hunsinger via Instagram

One graduate kept her mortar board simple by donning the colors and logo of her future university. –@jennkehlers via Instagram

One student utilized a few spare cards from the popular party game Cards Against Humanity to express how sports shaped her time during high school. –Glennia Campbell via Instagram

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/13/mortarboard-photo-gallery/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/13/mortarboard-photo-gallery/Quality Counts: A Look at Schools in Wyoming and Vermont – Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/SGOFPL9BKBc/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/06/quality-counts-2018-2/#commentsWed, 06 Jun 2018 20:21:59 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=5964As part of the Quality Counts 2018: Finance package, Education Week visited two very different schools: a high school in Shoshoni, Wyo., that has tech capabilities in every room in a state that has put a big premium on classroom connectivity; and a K-12 school in a rural corner of Vermont that has an enrollment of just 75 students and doubles as the site for the town offices and library.]]>

Shoshoni Schools, a $49 million facility in Shoshoni, Wyo., serves approximately 380 students in prekindergarten through the 12th grade. –Amber Baesler/AP for Education Week

States face different challenges and make different choices when it comes to their education spending, all of which are ultimately reflected at the schoolhouse level. As part of the Quality Counts 2018: Finance package, Education Week visited two very different schools: a high school in Shoshoni, Wyo., that has tech capabilities in every room, in a state that has put a big premium on classroom connectivity; and a K-8 school in a rural corner of Vermont that has an enrollment of just 75 students and doubles as the site for the town offices and library.

Large-screen televisions hang from a wall in the spacious school cafeteria at Shoshoni Schools. –Amber Baesler/AP for Education Week

Tech director and secondary STEM professor Jesse Smith and sophomore Perrin Fullmer, 15, work together on a project in Shoshoni High School’s Maker Lab. The facility is part of the school’s STEM program. –Amber Baesler/AP for Education Week

Sophomores Perrin Fullmer, 15, and Gabe Cash, 16, work on their own arcade game at the Maker Lab in Shoshoni. –Amber Baesler/AP for Education Week

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/06/quality-counts-2018-2/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/06/quality-counts-2018-2/Faces of the National Spelling Bee – Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/mb5tiU3FdzE/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/01/scripps-national-spelling-bee/#commentsFri, 01 Jun 2018 19:49:26 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=5952The end of the biggest Scripps National Spelling Bee in history came abruptly, and it wasn't the conclusion that many expected. Naysa Modi, a poised and charismatic four-time participant whose long spelling career seemed to be building toward triumph, sat next to a newcomer whom she had already beaten this year — at the county level. Associated Press photographers Cliff Owen and Jacquelyn Martin documented the drama of the 3-day event. ]]>

Karthik Nemmani, 14, from McKinney, Texas, is presented with the Scripps National Spelling Bee trophy by Adam Symson, president and CEO, E.W. Scripps Company, after he won the bee in Oxon Hill, Md., on May 31. –Cliff Owen/AP

The end of the biggest Scripps National Spelling Bee in history came abruptly, and it wasn’t the conclusion that many expected. Naysa Modi, a poised and charismatic four-time participant whose long spelling career seemed to be building toward triumph, sat next to newcomer whom she had already beaten this year — at the county level.

But 12-year-old Naysa blinked immediately, mixing up the single and double “s” in the German-derived word “Bewusstseinslage” — a state of consciousness or a feeling devoid of sensory components — and 14-year-old Karthik Nemmani seized an opportunity that he wouldn’t have had before this year.

“I didn’t really think I’d be able to do it,” the soft-spoken winner said. “I had confidence that I could do it, but I honestly didn’t realistically think it could happen.”

Karthik’s victory Thursday night put the spotlight back onto the story of this Bee Week — the new wild-card program that Scripps launched to give a chance to spellers like him, who have to compete against some of the nation’s best spellers at the local level. The field was expanded to 515 spellers to accommodate the wild cards — there had never been more than 300 competitors previously — and four of the 16 prime-time finalists got in through the new program, known as “RSVBee.”

—Ben Nuckols/Associated Press

Charles Millard, 13, from Frederick, Md., misspells his word during the 2nd round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. –Cliff Owen/AP

The last speller of the day, Eleanor Tallman, 13, from Flower Mound, Texas, spells her word incorrectly during the 2nd round of the Bee. –Cliff Owen/AP

Winston Zuo, 13, from Yorba Linda, Calif., left, and Matthew Rodgers, 13, from Severance, Colo., wait to spell their word during the 3rd round of the Bee. –Cliff Owen/AP

Phoebe Smith, 12, from Aston, Pa., left, and Nilla Rajan, 13, from Chillicothe, Ohio, celebrate as a competitor spells her word correctly on the final day. –Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Cameron Keith, 12, from Boulder, Colo., left, stretches next to Paul Hamrick, 14, from Monterey, Calif., during a break in competition on the final day of the Bee. –Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Paul Hamrick, 14, from Monterey, Calif., reacts after spelling his word correctly during the final rounds of the Bee. –Cliff Owen/AP

Anita Beroza, 14, from Belmont, Calif., waits to spell her word during the third round of the Bee. Beroza incorrectly spelled her word and was eliminated from competition. –Cliff Owen/AP

Nicholas Lee, 14, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., reacts to spelling his word correctly during the third round of the Bee. –Cliff Owen/AP

Naysa Modi, 12, from Frisco, Texas, sits onstage after spelling her word incorrectly, and thus losing the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She had already beaten her remaining competitor, Bee winner Karthik Nemmani, this year at the county level. Modi mixed up the single and double “s” in the German-derived word “Bewusstseinslage” — a state of consciousness or a feeling devoid of sensory components. –Cliff Owen/AP

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/01/scripps-national-spelling-bee/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/06/01/scripps-national-spelling-bee/Using Job Data to Guide Student Career Choices – Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/Ci9Zu2rWsfk/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/04/25/ilead-academy-2/#commentsWed, 25 Apr 2018 22:01:40 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=5926iLEAD Academy opened three years ago to help prepare Northern Kentucky students for careers in high-paying, high-demand fields. It uses a wonky weapon – labor-market data – to design course offerings that won’t leave students in dead-end jobs, and to give them solid advice that’s grounded in the needs of regional employers.]]>

iLEAD Academy opened three years ago to help prepare Northern Kentucky students for careers in high-paying, high-demand fields. It uses a wonky weapon – labor-market data – to design course offerings that won’t leave students in dead-end jobs, and to give them solid advice that’s grounded in the needs of regional employers.

The iLEAD Academy is located a few doors down from a grocery store in a Carrollton, Ky., shopping center, and in front of the local Walmart.

As a future high school science teacher, Michaela Stethen, an iLEAD junior, knows that she can get an annual salary of $37,358. But she must earn a bachelor’s degree first.

Otilio Flores, another iLEAD student, earned his industrial-maintenance-technician certification at the end of his sophomore year. With a high school diploma in addition, he could be an industrial maintenance tech and earn nearly $37,000 a year. But Otilio is pursuing an associate degree so he can earn thousands more as an electro-mechanical technician.

Student Storm Mitchell wants to work in robotics and travel internationally. She could earn more than $81,000 as a robotics technician if she goes on to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Junior Josiah Miracle stares intently at a problem on his computer screen during an Algebra 2 class.

Sophomore Johnny Rivera photographs a bench that he is in the midst of 3D modeling.

Dawson Allen, a junior at iLEAD Academy, works on his laptop in the lobby of his school. The school doesn’t have typical classrooms; students are free to lounge and work throughout the building.

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/04/25/ilead-academy-2/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/04/25/ilead-academy-2/Students Walk Out To Protest Gun Violence – Photo Galleryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/kEMhT9ImcZ0/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/04/20/student-walkout/#commentsFri, 20 Apr 2018 20:46:38 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=5895Students nationwide walked out of their classes on Friday, April 20, for the second mass school walkout since the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. Students marched to demand action on gun violence and school safety on the 19th anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado that claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher.]]>

Students nationwide walked out of their classes on Friday, April 20, for the second mass school walkout since the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. Students marched to demand action on gun violence and school safety on the 19th anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado that claimed the lives of 12 students and one teacher.

High school student Sebastian Chavez, center, joins hundreds of students walking out of school to rally against gun violence on April 20 in downtown Los Angeles. –Damian Dovarganes/AP

Jorge Flores, left, consoles fellow Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivor Carlitos Rodriguez during the kickoff event for the Vote For Our Lives movement to register voters on April 19 in Littleton, Colo. The event was held on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the shootings at nearby Columbine High School. –David Zalubowski/AP

Stoneman Douglas High School teachers demonstrate in front of the school on the morning of the student walkout in Parkland, Fla. –Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP

Several hundred students rally on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington to call for an end to gun violence in schools. –J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Elaine Flores, left, and Jared Baumann debate gun control following the student walkout at West Lafayette High School in West Lafayette, Ind. — John Terhune/Journal & Courier via AP

Nick Koehler, left, is seen through a sign, alongside senior classmate Elliot Zahm, as they address hundreds of students from Omaha Central High School taking part in the national school walkout event in Omaha, Neb. –Brendan Sullivan/Omaha World-Herald via AP

High school students call for anti-gun laws as they rally in Washington Square Park in New York. –Bebeto Matthews/AP

Students leave the school athletic field at Fairview High School in Erie County, Pa., after taking part in the national school walkout. –Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News via AP

High school students raise their fists in protest as they demonstrate outside Portland City Hall in Portland, Ore. –Beth Nakamura /The Oregonian via AP

Two rings of chairs encircle the words “NEVER AGAIN” in a silent protest on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting outside Trinity High School in Manchester, N.H. The inner ring chairs have names of the Columbine victims, the outer ring chairs have names of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims. –Charles Krupa/AP

]]>http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/04/20/student-walkout/feed/0http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/04/20/student-walkout/Learning in a Corrections Facility: A Day at Wyoming Girls School – Photo Essayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/edweek/fullframe/~3/xoY6gSHR6S8/
http://fullframe.edweek.org/2018/03/06/wyoming-girls-school-detention-facility/#commentsTue, 06 Mar 2018 21:59:10 +0000http://fullframe.edweek.org/?p=5844A stay in a corrections facility­—often hours away from home, school, and everything that is familiar—is a shock to the system for any student. Juvenile facilities like the Wyoming Girls School are exploring ways to reengage students both academically and emotionally, and help them think of themselves as students again.]]>

A stay in a corrections facility­—often hours away from home, school, and everything that is familiar—is a shock to the system for any student. But studies show girls are significantly more likely than boys to enter the juvenile justice system with a history of all types of abuse and neglect—including a four-times-higher risk of sexual abuse. Juvenile facilities like the Wyoming Girls School are exploring ways to reengage students both academically and emotionally, and help them think of themselves as students again.

The Wyoming Girls School, which serves court-ordered delinquent girls ages 12-21, works to avoid most visible signs of security. But it makes use of its rural location—set just beyond the center of town in Sheridan, Wyo., abutting the town’s small airport runway—both for security and pedagogy.

Dominique, grade 10, is seen here inside her dorm room at the Wyoming Girls School. As part of the school’s independent study requirements, modeled after Google’s “20 percent” approach to setting aside time for personal research and innovation, Dominique dug into various nursing degree programs available in the area. “At first I wanted to be a registered nurse, but then I decided to take it one step up: I want to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner or a family nurse practitioner. I want to go to college while I’m in high school,” Dominique said. Teachers say Dominique arrived angry, but also determined, and she has been intensely focused on charting a path to nursing in her time at the facility. “Dominique, she’s so eager, so excited that there are some opportunities out there for her,” said Rachael Ramsey, the teacher for Dominique’s favorite class, Independent Living. Dominique is scheduled to leave the school in May.

The Girls School was among the first juvenile facilities in the country to adopt 1-to-1 tablets and smart boards, and teachers and administrators say technology has dramatically changed what courses and academic projects the school can offer students. From left, 18-year-old students Willow and Bailey, technology and psychology teacher Michelle Nielsen, and student Addie, 18, take photos of each other to explore works of art on the Google Arts and Culture Face Match during technology class.

Sixteen-year-old Bridget, right, stretches out on an exercise ball during science class while beside her, classmate Nicole, 17, looks on. Students are encouraged to sit where they feel comfortable, and often times that may mean sitting on a desk, on the floor or on an exercise ball. “I had to get used to not being distracted by their coping skills,” recalled Alisa Tracy, an English and special education teacher. “One student learned best by sitting on the table by the window and staring out the window. Make her sit in a desk, she’s so anxious, can’t concentrate … but she could sit on the table with her notebook and just absorb everything; you ask her any random question and she would give completely thoughtful answers.”

Seventeen-year-old Atheina, left, and Luxxus, 16, practice memorizing a speech during class. Students are often seen with items like fidget spinners, modeling clay, or even moon sand and plush toys as pictured here. “When you are looking at trauma-informed care, a lot of what we strive to do is teach them how to regulate,” said Christine Jones, the superintendent of the school. “A lot of kids who have been traumatized are at a heightened baseline: Their heart rate is higher, you’ll see a lot of girls jiggling their feet all day long. If you look at the crisis cycle, they are halfway up all the time. The stress toys, calming music … it’s all connected to help them keep themselves calm and focused.”

Paraprofessional Kim Wenger is seen waiting in the hallway outside the restroom to keep watch on a student at the Wyoming Girls School. The school does not use handcuffs or ankle alarms, but students are escorted nearly everywhere around the school, including to and from the restroom.

A student’s locker is decorated with sobriety tokens, a reminder of the trauma and challenges some of the students at the Wyoming Girls School have faced and are working to overcome during their stay at the school.

Students and teachers play a game of hockey at the Whitney Rink, a sports center located near the Girls School in Sheridan, Wyo. The Wyoming Girls School rents ice time from the center so students are able to participate in a sport that couldn’t otherwise be done on campus.

Students in biology class transfer plants for planting this spring in the on-campus greenhouse garden. They’ve been tracking the winter seedlings for weeks, taking photos with their laptops to chart growth as part of science class. The hands-on activities give teachers the chance to teach through conversations with students as they work. During one class earlier this winter, teacher Nikki Collins wiped her pruning shears with alcohol between cuttings, and quietly asked Luxxus, 16, if she knew why. “To stop from spreading diseases from the plant’s blood?” Luxxus ventured. “Exactly like that, but do you know what the plant’s blood is called? Your homework tonight is to find out,” Collins says.

Student artwork hangs in a hallway at the Wyoming Girls School. The school reported that by the end of their terms at the school, students significantly improved on social-emotional inventories. For example, they were two or more times as likely to strongly agree that they felt safe, were comfortable asking questions in class, and “enjoy learning new things.”

Students Madison, 18, who has completed her high school equivalency diploma, left, and graduate Marisa, 17, take a break to have their lunch after cooking for students and staff. Students all are expected to complete chores in the dorms, but some students who have already completed high school take part-time jobs in the school and in some places in the community to earn money or credit.

Student Aeriel, 17, who is working towards her high school equivalency diploma, enjoys a light moment as she talks with family on the phone from a common area in a dorm at the Wyoming Girls School.

From left, students Shantell, 18, Lacey, 16, and Luxxus, 16, follow along during a guided tapping class, a form of guided mindfulness, at a dorm at the Wyoming Girls School. Afternoons and evenings are dedicated to various individual and joint counseling groups, occupational therapy, and other activities. Dixie Cooper, the principal at the Wyoming Girls School, notes: “We have about 25 percent with an active IEP–but almost any of the kids would qualify” for an individualized education plan, based on learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, or both. Only a student’s home school can start a new IEP, and while the Girls School can suggest additions to a student’s IEP, discussions about how a 16-year-old ended up reading at a 1st grade level can get diplomatically tricky.

above. From left, intern therapist Kelly Johnson, student Latavia, 16, youth service specialist Megan Peak, and students Emily, 15, and Marisa, 17, gather together for art therapy in a dorm.

Students are escorted to and from all buildings around campus. It can be a tough transition for some students leaving the tiny classes and structured schedule of the facility to return to their old—or a brand new—school. “I know places like the Girls School help kids take the blindfold off and say, ‘Here’s the path you are on; it doesn’t matter what happened before, you can move on,” said Bernie Ourth, district attendance officer for the Natrona County school district in Casper, Wyo., who helps returning students make the transition back to school. “But these kids maybe struggled academically before they got in trouble; they are carrying a lot of luggage. I think the human connection with these kids is critical. If they don’t have a connection with an adult in that [school] building, their odds of success are greatly limited.”

From Principal Dixie Cooper’s office window, visitors can see another snowstorm rolling in. “I think it’s important to pass along to the students, this is really only a part of who they are,” said Amy Yager, intake coordinator and clinician at the school. “If you made a list of all the bad things that happened to you, and a list of all your bad choices, would you want that to define you?”